Heres To Us
by nightmareofcat
Summary: Thor brought Loki back to Earth with him when Asgard received reports that Thanos was on the move, looking for the mischief god. Slowly Loki entrenches himself into the lives of the Avengers, and into the heart of Natasha. Follow them as they face themselves and the continuing threat of the Mad Titan. Rated M for language and adult themes.


please enjoy the newest story from me. please leave a review to let me know if anything needs fixing, you liked it, hated it or just generally feel like saying hi. dont be shy, i dont bite...hard. flames welcome, give me something to toast marshmallows with.

now on to the show.

* * *

Natasha all but fell into the damaged booth, blood slowly dripping down from a cut on her temple, so she did what any sane person would do with a damaged head… Looked for the nearest unbroken bottle of vodka. Being inside a demolished bar should help in that endeavor.

Dragging her scraped and bruised body behind the splintered bar, she found a bottle of top shelf alcohol and an unbroken glass she limped back over to her booth.

Pouring a healthy portion of vodka into her glass, all she could do was lean her head back and stare at the clear liquid.

Utterly exhausted and in extreme pain from her various wounds, Natasha closed her eyes and focused on the sounds of explosions and screaming going on outside. The Chitauri had returned, stronger than ever, and hell bent on decimating the entire city. Being lead by some giant purple gorilla looking madman claiming to be taking souls to appease his mistress. Honestly she could care less who he was here for, she just knew that he needed to be stopped.

Her ears perked up when she heard footsteps on the rubble by the door. Knowing who it was just by the gait and way he almost stalked forward like a panther, trying to stay silent.

Loki approached the booth as quietly as possible, trying not to disturb the assassin, if she had somehow found a moment to rest her wary body. Sitting down across from her, Loki just looked at her. Decent sized gash on her left temple, obvious bruises and scrapes visible through the holes in her cat-suit, severe exhaustion and an ominous lack of weaponry present. All in all she looked like shit.

"Are you just going to sit there and stare or you going to drink this?" Natasha asked then slid the glass of vodka across the cracked table top.

Loki being the person he was, swiped the glass off the table and gulped it down. Not even wincing at the burn, the cuts and broken arm hurt more anyway. Reaching over to the bottle he poured himself more, his curiosity got the better of him.

"Why do you not drink this yourself? I do remember vodka being your favorite beverage." Leaning back with his now refilled glass, he cocked an eyebrow at the humorless chuckle and wince that escaped her.

"Its not a good idea to be drinking in my condition."

"And what condition would that be? Pardon my forwardness of course."

Natasha cracked her eyes open to glance at the God in front of her, contemplating how to respond but then just deciding to answer bluntly.

"I'm pregnant Loki, about 2 months along now."

Snapping his head up to stare at her, mouth agape and eyes wide as saucers, he replied.

"That would mean.."

"Yes Loki, it was conceived while we were still together. Week before I left you if my timing is correct, and yes it is yours before you jump to conclusions."

Natasha leaned her head back against the booth again to stare at the ceiling, thinking of everything that happened and thinking back to the relationship she shared with the mischief god.

* * *

3 years after Loki came to earth to try to enslave it he returned, albeit in the care of Thor, but a return none the less. Chaos broke out among all the Avengers when that happened. Steve just looked shocked, Bruce got a bit green and Clint flat out lunged for Loki. Tony and Natasha were the only ones calm enough to do anything. Tony steered his science bro away towards the penthouse window, while Natasha managed to wrangle Clint off of the fallen prince and calm him down enough to listen to Thor explain why they had come.

Listening to Thor explain that Asgard had received word from neighboring realms that the being Thanos was on rampage. Obliterating any and all that stood in his way, carving a galactic sized path through the cosmos. Looking for Loki, so that he could collect his debt the God had for disservice to him. Taking his payment in blood and bone, slowly torturing him and stripping him of his very essence and soul.

Telling his fellow Avengers about how Loki was truly not himself when he came to Earth the first time, under the control of Thanos henchman, The Other. Mind controlled much like he had done to Clint. Everyone could see some of the truth of his words when they looked into the eyes of the mischief maker, emerald green now, no longer the false blue they were before.

Tony had agreed, after much pleading and an interesting trick Loki performed to calm Bruce down a bit, to let them both stay in the tower. The others agreed, albeit slower, to tolerate their presence while they all came up with a plan to help stop Thanos.

So from that point on Loki became a regular fixture in the tower, aiding others where he could. Tony and Bruce even adopted him into the science club when he showed a working knowledge of gizmos and the workings of physics and metallurgy. He won Steve over with his political and strategic knowledge, helping a child rescue her kitten from a sewer drain helped too.

Clint was another story. He avoided Loki like the plague. Leaving quickly if he entered the room or just not even showing up if he even suspected the god was there. Eventually he got cornered on the archery range. Loki had offered him a chance, so to speak, to take his aggression out on him without actually hurting him. Loki created several copies of himself, giving them just enough substance to serve his purpose, then told Clint to do his worst. The archer was more agreeable after he finally got to sink an arrow in the Gods eye socket.

Natasha just watched this all from a distance, guaging and calculating what his agenda could be. For a year she did this, as the others warmed up to him. They did not interact much at first, just casual greetings and the occasional group meals. That seemed to change almost suddenly when one night he came into the common room while she was lounging at the bar, glass of vodka in her hand.

He had approached slowly, not sure of her temperament, but did make it onto a stool across from her. She offered him a drink which he accepted, sliding into his gullet without so much as a wince. Loki then looked back up to her, slight raise in his eyebrow, silently asking her just what exactly that was for.

A casual shrug was her answer. Natasha refilled both glasses and motioned over to the couch just across the room near the large tv. Loki followed her and claimed the other end of the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table and crossing his ankles. This was the most casual Natasha had seen him since he arrived at the tower.

"I cannot help but wonder the reason for this kindness, Lady Romanoff."

The quiet whisper of that statement broke her out of her silent musings with a start, she hadn't been expecting him to start a conversation. She had to admit though, even his quiet voice was pretty damn hot.

Turning in his direction she regarded him for a moment more before answering.

"You have made attempts to get along with everyone, but your recent attempt to sooth Clint on the archery range made me see that you actually are trying to make effort to pay for past sins. Personally you have not really done anything to me per se, so I find no reason to treat you with the same disdain that the others did at first." She hadn't actually meat to say that much but something about the low lights coming in from the outside world just made his eyes glow in a way that made you want to confess everything.

Slightly surprised by her answer he gave her a slight smile that would have been missed if she had not been staring at him.

"Well then Lady Romanoff, I thank you for this." He saluted her with his glass before draining it again in a single gulp. "And I thank you for your kind words, not many would be as willing to see past my mistakes and forgive."

"I never said I forgave you, I said I find no reason to treat you like an animal in a cage." Natasha threw the burning liquid into her throat, setting her glass on the coffee table. She looked back at the God next to her and admired his profile as he looked down at his empty glass. Defined jaw line, cheekbones sharp enough to cut diamonds, long dark hair that begged for fingers to be combed through it, gentle slope of his regal nose…..his completely kissable lips.

Natasha shook her head slightly to wipe that thought out of her head, but once thought its always impossible to keep it at bay.

Seeing the Agent at his side shake her head, Loki decided that he had impeded on her hospitality long enough. Standing and stretching a bit, he held his hand out to the beautiful agent. She cocked her head and slowly placed her hand in his, not sure what he would do.

Once again he surprised her by pulling her up on her feet. Loki gave her an impish smirk and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

"Until next time, Lady Romanoff." With that he turned and prowled away.

Apparently that was all the opening that he needed, because after that he started flirting with her…..hard and frequently. Every chance presented to him, Loki would steal subtle glances that only she would see. Soft touches in passing and on one bold occasion, flat out kissed her. A passionate and longing kiss, filled with everything he felt and wanted.

Natasha reared back and slapped him. "Don't you ever, ever do that again Loki." She replied back cooly. "You have become too forward, I may tolerate and get along with you, but never have I given you the hint that I wanted this. Stop whatever thoughts that run through your addled brain." She stomped away from the stunned God, back to her room where she fumed. Once again things once done cannot be undone.

Natasha thought about that fantastically lusty kiss for weeks afterward.

Of course all fun thoughts do come to an end. Someone had let it slip that Loki was back in town to Director Fury, needless to say he was not happy.

In a lovely twist all the Avengers, including Natasha, rallied behind the God so that he could stay with them.

Being severely outnumbered, Fury finally gave in to their demands and didn't slap cuffs on the God. He did however, slap on the stipulation that for a minimum of one year Agent Hill would stay in the tower to supervise the mischief maker and make sure he did not try to go 'bat shit crazy' again.

No one was happy with this situation, most especially Hill and Natasha. Both for different reasons. Since his rejection at the hand of Natasha, Loki focused his flirting upon a disgruntled Agent Hill. At first she was resistant, but then everyone could see the subtle changes to Hill's attitude. Within 6 months she was openly flirting with the God, much to the horror of everyone else.

Natasha on the other hand, had become a bit snippier with everyone. Around the time of 'hell freezing over' as the others described the flirtation between Loki and Hill, Natasha out right snapped at Clint over something as small as sneezing during a movie.

"Damn Tash, it was a fucking sneeze! Just because you're jealous of Hill and Loki being more hot and heavy than a couple high school kids is not a fucking reason to throw shit at me!"

"What did you just say?" Natasha asked in a low tone, virtually seething.

"You heard me Tash. Look we could all tell that until Hill showed up that you and Loki had a thing going, hell you two had so much eye fucking and sexual tension happening Steve popped a boner more than once!" Clint was waving his arms around at this point and poor Steve was blushing so hard he about had a nose bleed. Natasha quickly stood up and stomped off to her room where they all heard the door slam.

"My my that went well." Loki had said after the slam. He stood and made to follow her. Tony was the one to ask just where the hell he was going.

"I shall go and speak to the Lady, it seems we have a bit of a misunderstanding going on." Loki moved to go around Tony when Clint piped up again. "Why would you go after her? Aren't you with Maria?"

Loki turned to the archer and sighed. "No Agent Barton, I am indeed not with Agent Hill. That is what needs to be corrected. These last few months it was not for my own benefit that I've had innuendo laden conversations with Agent Hill, it was for your own Captain. While we have remained on friendly terms, as you Midgardians say the boning of Maria has been left in Steve's hands. Now if you will excuse me, there seems to be an angry assassin that's needs soothing." With that Loki finally left the room, and the choking sounds of Steve.

The trek to Natasha's room took less time than Loki would have liked, but he endured and knocked on the door.

The fuming spy answered the door all too soon. Cocking a hip to the side Natasha asked Loki "What the hell do you want?"

Clearing his throat he asked if he could come inside. Which she allowed with a huff and eye-roll.

Deciding to just jump right in and get his explanation over with, he went to open his mouth but was cut off before he could speak.

"Look Loki I know I've been a complete bitch lately but before you say anything I want you to know that I really am happy for you and Hill, you guys are cute together."

Snapping his jaws closed, Loki couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.

"Lady Romanoff I believe you have come to the wrong conclusion."

"Seriously just call me Natasha and what do you mean I came to the wrong conclusion? You two are 3 seconds away from screwing each other's brains out!" she all but yelled at him.

Looking at the assassin closely now, Loki could see the red puffiness around her eyes. She had been crying. Stepping closer to her, Loki lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Natasha…darling, look at me please." He tilted her head up with a crooked finger. "I must tell you something, your conclusion was direly incorrect. Never have I been with or plan to be with Agent Hill, that honor has been left for the Captain. I have been trying to get them together since she arrived here."

Utter shock lit up her features, both at the endearment he bestowed and at the information he had given.

"Why? Why would you try to get them together? More importantly why did you need to flirt?" She took a step back as she said this. Trying to squash down the hope that his words and brought to the surface.

"Simply put, it was a lovely bit of mischief on my part. I got to enjoy a bit of word play and banter with the added benefit of seeing the great Captain blush like a maiden. Plus the good Captain had mentioned once that he admired strong women, since at the time I was still vying for your affections, she was the next logical choice."

His smirk as he said this was downright sinful and sent a violent jolt of lust straight to Natasha's loins.

Not able to take his intense stare any longer, she backed away with a shuddering breath towards her en suite bar. She removed 2 glasses from her cabinet and pulled a bottle of vodka from her fridge. Not trusting herself to speak just yet, she downed a quick glass of the chilled liquid then motioned him over as she refilled her glass and one for him as well.

Loki stalked over to the bar. Opting not to sit but just casually lean against the counter near her. Taking the offered drink he took a small sip, staring into her eyes intently. Waiting for her to say something.

Staring right back into his eyes, Natasha also took another sip of her drink. Getting lost in his deep emerald gaze, she contemplated her next course of action. He had admitted that he was unattached but that didn't soothe the ache at the fact that even though she had flat out told him to never touch her again, he still harbored enough interest to still want her. This also turned her on a bit, his determination.

"Are you serious about wanting to be with me Loki? Not just a casual fling but an actual relationship?"

"I swear on the roots of Yggdrasil that I do not do anything to half completion, I want to be with you as long as you will have me darling."

Loki leaned closer to her. Hoping beyond hope that she would relent to his flirtations, push past any misgivings she may have and take him as hers.

They both emptied their glasses at the same time. Just staring at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. The sexual tension was palpable. Natasha was the first to speak.

"Kiss me Loki, Kiss me like you did before." Her voice came out in a breathy whisper.

Loki did not hesitate for a second.

They came together. All hot mouths and wet tongues, hands everywhere. Trying to find purchase on one another.

Loki somehow managed to slip his hands under her bottom and with a firm squeeze that made her squeal into his mouth, lifted her onto the counter beside them. Natasha's legs spread to wrap themselves around his waist to enable him to press himself closer to her. The feel of him between her thighs, pressing his hardening arousal against the layers of clothing separating them, she lost any will she had left.

"Lets take this to the bed shall we darling? I cannot wait to finally be inside you any longer."

Natasha felt more than heard the aroused whisper. With an equally husky word she gave her assent.

They were not seen for a full two days, but they were more than heard by everyone.

For more than a year they were like that. One minute staring at each other, the next holed up in whom evers room was closest. A lot of the time they never made it to a room. Almost every surface in the tower was christened by the overly amours couple. More than once they even left evidence. Tony's favorite was when they left her lacy red panties on his work desk, even if trying to explain to Pepper why another woman's undergarments were on his desk. Tony couldn't help the Cheshire grin on his face, or resist the make up sex with Pepper after she caught Loki and Natasha throwing clothing from each other in the workshop and came to him to apologize. Life was good for Tony for a while.

Poor Bruce and Clint just went along with the ride and tried to keep straight faces whenever the two love birds would throw obscene gestures at each other, they failed miserably.

Of course Thor was over the moon for his brother. He kept rambling on to Loki on more than one occasion about his happiness for him. Loki just rolled his eyes and turned Thor's pizza rolls into rocks.

All the happiness in the tower came to a screeching halt when a messenger arrived from Asgard to deliver terrible news to the Avengers, Thanos had been spotted and was heading straight for them.

Everyone went into immediate emergency mode. Gathering all assets they could while training themselves. Fury put all of S.H.I.E.L.D on high alert and his best agents were called in for long periods of time to help organize things.

It was at the peak of preparations, roughly 13 months into their relationship, during a quiet moment that found Loki and Natasha in bed. He was gently stroking her arm in the afterglow of post coitus activities that Loki whispered "I love you, Natasha." She was stunned for a moment before she looked into his eyes and responded the same.

After a particularly rough month at HQ, Natasha returned to the tower to find the suite that she shared with Loki darkened. The only light came from a handful of candles lit around the apartment and on the elegantly decorated table in the dining area.

Scanning the area, she found Loki in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on two dinner plates.

"Have a seat darling, dinner will be ready in just a moment." Loki threw her a smile over his shoulder. She moved over towards the table and sniffed the roses he had set as a centerpiece, flanked by two tall candles. Soft music played in the background.

He came back to the table and set one of the plates in front of her. She smiled and dug right in, she was starving after the madness of the day, and she had some important news to tell him that she had been hiding for the last week. They finished the meal in relative silence. Loki then got up to retrieve the dessert from the fridge when a small box fell out of his pocket, he reached down to retrieve it but Natasha had beat him to it.

Natasha opened the box to see a gorgeous emerald ring, not obnoxiously large or bulky. Something that she noticed she could wear but would not get in the way of her movements. She looked up into his eyes, she saw the affection he had for her reflected back in his shimmering orbs. Natasha instantly knew what all the romance was about, he had planned to propose to her.

Natasha sprang out of the chair and backed away towards the door. With all the stress from preparations for Thanos arrival and the knowledge of the tiny secret growing in her womb, she couldn't handle it. She did the only thing she knew she could do when something happened too fast, she reacted and fled the room. Left the tower completely and went to HQ. She never returned to the tower, she never returned to Loki and she never told him that he was going to be a father.

She was snapped back to the current when she heard Loki silently curse and refill his glass, draining it again quickly. Natasha looked at him then, really looked. He had gone pale at her admission and had a terrified look in his eye. He was hiding something that much she knew.

"Don't look so shocked Loki, it was bound to happen eventually. We fucked like rabbits and never used protection. I'm just amazed it didn't happen sooner."

Loki got a sudden crazed look on his face but replied none the less.

"You mistake me my darling, I am more than happy with the news. Excited, ecstatic even. You could say over the moon. I have always dreamed of becoming a father, and now you tell me I am one. Its just, it certainly could have come at a better time."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What exactly are you hiding from me Loki?"

"We have found a way to stop the Chitauri, Thanos himself was killed a few hours ago by Thor but his second in command went into a frenzy and sent the entire armada at us. JARVIS scanned all of the hovering ships. One of them has an unsheilded reactor core, if destabilized, would cause a meltdown to the engines and explode. Taking everything down with it."

"That doesn't answer my question, why come find me now when someone could have done it already and end this?" Natasha sat forward now to stare him directly in the eye.

"I came to find you to say good bye Natasha." Loki looked at her in earnest. "I am the only one that can teleport to the ship to destroy the engine and end this. It cannot be done from the outside and once the reaction is started it will go quickly. Natasha it's a suicide mission."

Natasha gasped and lifted a hand to her mouth, already she could feel the tears forming.

"Oh my god, Loki no! You can't! You can't leave me now!" she screamed at him. Reaching across the table to take his hands in hers, she brought his hands to her lips. Kissing them and sobbing.

Loki moved his hand to cup her cheek and smiled sadly. "Oh my darling, I'm so, so sorry. I do not mean this to sound callous but it was you who left me, if I had known then that you were carrying my child I would have chased you harder. Fury had said that you did not want to see me under any circumstances. I had given up hope after you had been gone a month." He moved his thumb gently to wipe a tear from her eye.

She looked at him again in shock. "Loki, I had thought that you were mad enough to not even care that I left. Fury never told me you had come or I would have seen you, I'd given up hope as well."

"I believe Fury will need a stern talking to after this is all over darling."

They both gave a small chuckle at that.

Loki removed his hand from her face and stood from the booth. He made to leave the building but she stood and stopped him.

"Loki I'm serious, you need to come back to me. I can't do this alone, not now that I know we were essentially kept apart. No words can describe how sorry I am that I left or how sorry I am that I didn't tell you about the baby or come back to you in general."

"Natasha I will try my absolute hardest to return from this insanity. If I do somehow make it back, will you please pledge yourself to me finally and marry my crazy arse?"

She laughed at that but nodded her assent none the less. Loki swept her up in his arms for a tight hug, being mindful of her injuries, the pain of his broken arm all but forgotten.

Laying a gentle yet passionate kiss against her lips, Loki then swept the hair from her face.

"The timing is absolutely atrocious but you have made me extremely happy, my darling. I must go, before the Chitauri overwhelmed everyone. Before I do, wear this for me would you?"

He produced the emerald ring from before. Unable to speak, Natasha held up her left hand so that he could place the band on her finger. He stared deep into her eyes once again to affirm that this was real and not a hallucination brought on by exhaustion. A silent conversation seemed to happen at that moment. Silent I love you's and come back to me's flowed between them in that intense gaze.

Loki finally broke the staring match, not able to handle the silence and lingering any longer he strode out the door.

Natasha followed out the door not long after, pushing her battered body as hard as she could to meet up with her team.

She saw Director Fury standing in the command tent, barking orders at everyone. Natasha strode right up to him and clocked him on the jaw as hard as she could. Fury fell flat on his back a few feet away, dazed and more than slightly confused.

"That was for keeping Loki from me you asshole, I quit!" Natasha yelled at Fury then strode over to join the rest of the Avengers. Clint have her a high five and smirked. The others just gaped at her but recovered soon enough.

They could all hear Loki's voice over the com unit they were standing by, relaying his position and activities. They heard when he made it to the engine room. They heard when he found the fault in the reactor core. They saw the ship explode, taking the others with it and watched as all the Chitauri fell to the ground dead.

They waited on baited breath for any word that the mischief maker had made it. A crackle in the com unit, a falling body, anything that would indicate signs of life. Nothing, they heard nothing at all.

Natasha fell to her knees sobbing, Clint came to her aid and just held her in an attempt to calm her down. Tony and Bruce both had a tear in their eye, saddened by the passing of their fellow science bro.

Thor dropped Mjölnir and collapsed, staring blankly at the sky where his brother once was.

Steve ever the soldier and rock of the group, silently bowed his head. Sending a prayer that his brother in arms made it safely to whatever paradise he was destined for.

They all remained like this for how long no one was sure. The sudden crackle along the com unit snapped them out of their mourning. They all whooped for joy when they heard Loki's voice.

"Pardon the interruption but somebody be so kind as to come to my aid? I seem to have depleted my magic stores and find myself dangling from a rather tall building. This confounding cape caught on the spire adorning your State of Empires building." Loki's exhausted voice came through the com, making everyone laugh in joy.

Thor was out the door before the transmission cut off fully. Bellowing behind him that he would meet them back at Avengers Tower.

* * *

Life returned to a somewhat normal state after the events of New York part 2, as the Avengers called it. well, as normal as a tower full of men and one very hormonal assassin. Everyone bowed to her every whim, none more so than her now husband Loki.

Loki was more than happy to do his wife's bidding, even going so far as to have a smile on his face during his 5 a.m. craving runs for ice cream or pickles.

They had been married 2 months after the battle. And welcomed a baby girl named Hope Laufeyson 5 months after that. Happiness and joy abound for everyone in the tower after that tiny goddess was born. She had her Uncle Clint and Thor wrapped around her tiny pink finger.

"Well darling, whats next in the journey of the Laufeysons?"

Natasha smiled up at her husband as she fed their tiny infant. "I don't know, love. I'm content right here with our little princess. " Natasha pulled the empty bottle from the infants mouth and positioned her to be burped. Laying the now sleeping baby in her crib not long after.

She quietly walked out to the living room where her husband sat on the couch, chilled bottle of vodka and 2 glasses waiting on the coffee table.

Natasha gave a quiet laugh and moved over to sit next to Loki, who poured 2 glasses.

"Whats the occasion, love?" she asked taking a small sip of the liquid.

"No occasion darling, just a simple toast." Loki held up his glass to hers.

Clinking their glasses together they both drank.

"Heres to us, darling. Now and forever."


End file.
